Illinois One of 14 Schools to Make Bowl, Both NCAA Tournaments
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CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Illinois has been selected for both the men’s and women’s NCAA basketball tournaments in the same year as the football team qualified for a bowl game. The Fighting Illini are one of only 14 teams nationally to achieve the feat this academic year, and one of only four Big Ten teams along with Iowa, Maryland, and Purdue.
The other schools from around the country to appear in both NCAA basketball tournaments and a bowl game are Alabama, Baylor, Connecticut, Duke, Mississippi State, North Carolina State, UCLA, USC, Tennessee, and Texas.
It is the first time Illinois has achieved the feat since 1999-2000 and the third time overall. The Illini also played in a bowl and both NCAA basketball tournaments in 1985-86.
Men’s Basketball – NCAA Tournament – 20-12
The Fighting Illini earned an at-large bid, the program’s third consecutive bid under head coach Brad Underwood, as the No. 9 seed in the West region and will open their NCAA Tournament run against No. 8 seed Arkansas in the first round on Thursday at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa. Game time is set for 3:30 p.m. CT and will be televised on TBS. Illinois is one of four Big Ten teams – and one of 19 teams nationally – to earn a bid in each of the last three NCAA Tournaments. The Illini are one of 13 programs, meanwhile, who have won NCAA Tournament games the past two seasons.
Women’s Basketball – NCAA Tournament – 22-9
In head coach Shauna Green‘s first season, the Fighting Illini are going dancing. Illinois earned a berth in the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament, competing in the First Four following a historic 2022-23 regular-season campaign. The Illini will take on Mississippi State (20-10) in the First Four on Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT in South Bend, Indiana. Illinois’ tilt is the first of the NCAA Women’s Tournament and will be televised on ESPNU. The winner of Illinois/Mississippi State will take on 6-seed Creighton on Friday.
Football – ReliaQuest Bowl – 8-5
The Fighting Illini went 8-5 in 2022, including an invite to the ReliaQuest Bowl in Tampa, Florida. Illinois head coach Bret Bielema, who signed a six-year agreement in 2022 that will keep him at Illinois through 2028, led Illinois back to a bowl game in just his second season in Champaign. The Illini were ranked in the AP Top 25 for five straight weeks, reaching as high as No. 14, and were ranked in the College Football Playoff rankings for the first time in school history. Illinois led the nation in scoring defense (12.8) for the first time in program history, led the nation and set a school record in interceptions (24), and ranked third in total defense (273.5).
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Read More: Illinois One of 14 Schools to Make Bowl, Both NCAA Tournaments 2023-03-13 16:18:55